The Batwa Trail in Bwindi Forest
The Batwa trail is what is left as a human footprint of the once inhabitants of the Bwindi, Ichuya and Mgahinga forests
The Batwa trail is what is left as a human footprint of the once inhabitants of the Bwindi, Ichuya and Mgahinga forests
In order to experience who the Batwa are as a people, we need to be able to walk their story through the trail in the forest. A track that demonstrates their previous life in the forest, their hunting adventures, honey gathering, games, courtship and various knowledge on medicinal herbs. This one day trail was designed by a Mutwa whose parents were born in the forest of Bwindi, through the Batwa Indigenous Empowerment Organization.
The remaining members of the Batwa live on the edge of the forest and can access it with permission from the district authorities to hold such demonstrations to raise money for their daily maintenance and to preserve their heritage.
From the website Batwa Indigenous Empowerment Organization:
The Batwa indigenous people are a tribe who are believed to be the first people to have lived in the great mountains and forests of Virunga and Bwindi.
In 1991 the Batwa indigenous people (pygmies) were evicted from the forest, their ancestral lands, by the government. They received no compensation and no help with relocation from the government.
The majority of Batwa live in terrible conditions and are some of the most vulnerable people in Africa. The Batwa indigenous people in southwestern Uganda are among the minority tribes threatened by extinction due to isolation, discrimination and malnutrition, but most of all by poor health and lack of proper medical access. The health situation among the Batwa communities remains the biggest factor in the decreasing Batwa population. Different diseases claim Batwa lives, including AIDS, dysentery, cholera and tuberculosis, and most women die during childbirth.
